Surgical equipment monitoring

Abstract

Methods, systems, and apparatus for surgical equipment monitoring are disclosed. In some embodiments, an electronic health records database and a database of surgical tools is provided. At least one sensor and at least one surgical tool are used before, during, or after a surgical procedure. The at least one sensor associated with the at least one surgical tool is monitored for at least one parameter. The monitored data is compared to the expected value of that parameter for the current step in the surgical procedure from the surgical tools database. In response to determining a potential surgical complication, the system generates a notification indicating the potential surgical complication.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method comprising:
 monitoring, by a computer system, a surgical tool being used to perform a surgical procedure by a surgical robot; 
 determining, by the computer system, that a potential adverse event is associated with the surgical tool when used for the surgical procedure from a medical device reports (MDRs) database; 
 detecting, by the computer system, a malfunction of the surgical tool or misuse of the surgical tool from a surgical tools database, the malfunction or misuse associated with the potential adverse event; 
 generating, by the computer system, a notification indicating the potential adverse event; 
 sending, by the computer system, the notification to a user device communicably coupled to the computer system; 
 modifying, by the computer system, a surgical plan of the surgical procedure to avoid the potential adverse event, the surgical plan accessible from the user device; 
 extracting features from the surgical plan using a machine learning model, trained using the MDRs database and the surgical tools database, to determine that the potential adverse event is malfunctioning of the surgical tool; 
 identifying, using the machine learning model based on the features, another surgical tool to perform at least one surgical step indicated by the surgical plan for the malfunctioning surgical tool; and 
 performing the at least one surgical step using the other surgical tool by the surgical robot. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the computer system is part of a robotic surgical system being used to perform the surgical procedure. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising transmitting, by the computer system, the surgical plan to a robotic surgical system being used to perform the surgical procedure. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 generating, by the computer system, the surgical plan, wherein the surgical plan specifies a plurality of surgical steps of the surgical procedure, at least one medical supply used in the surgical procedure, and the surgical tool; and 
 storing, by the computer system, the surgical plan in an electronic health records (EHR) database. 
 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the surgical tools database describes at least one of:
 specifications of the surgical tool; 
 surgical procedures in which the surgical tool is used; 
 at least one consumable used by the surgical tool; 
 operational parameters for the surgical tool; or 
 at least one sensor used by the surgical tool, wherein monitoring the surgical tool comprises monitoring the at least one sensor during the surgical procedure. 
 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 5 , wherein the surgical tool comprises a stapler, the at least one sensor comprises a pair of force transducers, and the operational parameters comprise an amount of pressure registered by the force transducers. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 5 , wherein detecting the malfunction or misuse comprises:
 determining, by the computer system, that a measurement by the at least one sensor varies from an expected value in the surgical tools database by greater than a threshold. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 5 , wherein detecting the malfunction or misuse comprises:
 determining, by the computer system, that a measurement by the at least one sensor varies from an expected value in the surgical tools database by less than a threshold; and 
 determining, by the computer system, that the adverse event is associated with a current surgical step of the surgical procedure from the MDRs database, wherein the MDRs database is a Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the MDRs database comprises MDRs submitted by medical device manufacturers, importers, and device user facilities, the MDRs describing adverse events associated with surgical tools or surgical steps. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, by the computer system, a message that a medical practitioner is initiating the surgical procedure, the message received from at least one of an optical sensor detecting a patient in an operating room, a barcode scanner that reads a patient's ID bracelet, or a microphone detecting an audio cue, 
 wherein monitoring the surgical tool is performed responsive to receiving the message. 
 
     
     
       11. A system comprising:
 one or more computer processors; and 
 a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing computer instructions, which when executed by the one or more computer processors, cause the one or more computer processors to:
 monitor a surgical tool being used to perform a surgical procedure by a surgical robot; 
 determine that an adverse event is associated with the surgical tool when used for the surgical procedure from a medical device reports (MDRs) database; 
 detect a malfunction of the surgical tool or misuse of the surgical tool from a surgical tools database, the malfunction or misuse associated with the adverse event; 
 generate a notification indicating the adverse event; 
 send the notification to a user device communicably coupled to the computer system; 
 modify a surgical plan of the surgical procedure to avoid the adverse event, the surgical plan accessible from the user device; 
 extract features from the surgical plan using a machine learning model, trained using the MDRs database and the surgical tools database, to determine that the potential adverse event is malfunctioning of the surgical tool; 
 identify, using the machine learning model based on the features, another surgical tool to perform at least one surgical step indicated by the surgical plan for the malfunctioning surgical tool; and 
 perform the at least one surgical step using the other surgical tool by the surgical robot. 
 
 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the system is a robotic surgical system being used to perform the surgical procedure. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the computer instructions further cause the one or more computer processors to transmit the surgical plan to a robotic surgical system being used to perform the surgical procedure. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the computer instructions further cause the one or more computer processors to:
 generate the surgical plan, wherein the surgical plan specifies a plurality of surgical steps of the surgical procedure, at least one medical supply used in the surgical procedure, and the surgical tool; and 
 store the surgical plan in an electronic health records (EHR) database. 
 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the surgical tools database describes at least one of
 specifications of the surgical tool; 
 surgical procedures in which the surgical tool is used; 
 at least one consumable used by the surgical tool; 
 operational parameters for the surgical tool; or 
 at least one sensor used by the surgical tool, wherein monitoring the surgical tool comprises monitoring the at least one sensor during the surgical procedure. 
 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15  wherein the surgical tool comprises a stapler, the at least one sensor comprises a pair of force transducers, and the operational parameters comprise an amount of pressure registered by the force transducers. 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the computer instructions to detect the malfunction or misuse cause the one or more computer processors to:
 determine that a measurement by the at least one sensor varies from an expected value in the surgical tools database by greater than a threshold. 
 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 15 , wherein the computer instructions to detect the malfunction or misuse cause the one or more computer processors to:
 determine that a measurement by the at least one sensor varies from an expected value in the surgical tools database by less than a threshold; and 
 determine that the adverse event is associated with a current surgical step of the surgical procedure from the MDRs database, wherein the MDRs database is a Manufacturer and User Facility Device Experience (MAUDE) database. 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the MDRs database comprises MDRs submitted by medical device manufacturers, importers, and device user facilities, the MDRs describing adverse events associated with surgical tools or surgical steps. 
     
     
       20. The system of  claim 11 , wherein the computer instructions further cause the one or more computer processors to:
 receive a message that a medical practitioner is initiating the surgical procedure, the message received from at least one of an optical sensor detecting a patient in an operating room, a barcode scanner that reads a patient's ID bracelet, or a microphone detecting an audio cue, 
 wherein monitoring the surgical tool is performed responsive to receiving the message.